Posts filed under 'Cheers and Jeers'
The NHL was established in 1917 and has grown to feature 30 teams. The NHL is unique, because it includes 6 teams that are located in Canada. Since hockey fever is in the air and the weather is getting chilly, I will give you my favorite teams for this season.
Atlantic
The Atlantic division has some serious completion this year. All of the teams in this division are very talented. It should be an amazing season with some heart-pumping action. The Pittsburg Penguins and New York Rangers are looking swell (Rangers Tickets to all games are now on sale too)!
Southeast
The Washington Capitals currently have 8 wins and only 2 losses. I am looking forward to watching them dominate the Southeast division. Hopefully the Tampa Bay Lightening will give them a run for their money this season. The Atlanta Thrashers should be making their mark as well and are always an entertaining team to watch.
Central
The Chicago Blackhawks are definitely one of my favorite teams in the entire league. I think it’s wonderful to see them on top this season! The Columbus Blue Jackets are trailing right behind them in the Central NHL division. The Central teams all have a very close record and there could be many upsets this season. Keep a close eye on these guys!
Pacific it’s going to a close call for teams in the Pacific division. They are currently neck and neck, with the strongest teams being the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks.
Northeast This division of the NHL is looking mighty fierce so far! Included in the Northeast are many of the Canadian hockey teams. Players and fans from Canada take hockey seriously and it is a way of life. The Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are setting up the 2009-20010 nicely.
Northwest Here is another division ruled by mostly by the Canadian teams. The Colorado Avalanche are holding on strong to the top spot and have been playing very aggressive. In my opinion, their toughest competition this season will be Calgary. You don’t want to miss a game in this division and you can pick up Calgary Flames Tickets now!
More Resources
Hockey Tickets
Bruins Tickets
Montreal Canadians Tickets
October 30th, 2009
WOW!
It is an absolute rarity for me to order a disc online, and even more of a rare event to order anything from outside the U.S. However, since I could not find this boxed set at any local store, it became a must to order it online. When the package arrived at the office yesterday I immeditaely popped in the CD. I am still blown away 24 hours later.
The Seldom Seen Kid is the fourth studio disc from Bury, Greater Manchester’s Elbow. Manchester has to have something special in the water, for some of the most incredible music has come from that area of the world. The Chameleons, Joy Division, New Order, The Buzzcocks, The Smiths, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, The Fall, Chemical Brothers and Oasis have each contributed to the legend of Manchester. I think I have made it pretty obvious in the last year just how special I think Elbow is.
January 17, 2009, Elbow teamed up with the BBC Orchestra and the London-based chamber choir Chantage to perform the disc in its entirety at legendary Abbey Road Studios. A fairly popular band by the name of The Beatles recorded most of their work at the studio between 1962-1970. The Seldom Seen Kid - Live at Abbey Road is Elbow’s contribution to the legacy of this famous landmark in music history.
In the short 24+ hours I have possesed this set since receiving it in the mail yesterday, I have listened to the CD three times and watched the DVD once. Overkill you might say. Basking in the glory of perfection I call it. Yes folks, this disc is the perfect live document of Elbow.
It seems to me in the past couple of years a band playing a classic album from its catalog in its entirety has become a welcome occurrence. Sonic Youth did this with their watershed Daydream Nation, Built to Spill with Perfect From Now On and Jimmy Eat World earlier this year with Clarity. I love the concept! In Elbow’s case, the occasion was to celebrate The Seldom Seen Kid winning the 2008 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year.
Starlings opened the show, and it becomes immediately clear how much more powerful the tracks will sound with a full orchestra and choir behind the five members of Elbow. The horns on the track are so much more amplified, and the string section was phenomenal. The Bones of You was delivered with sheer pop brilliance, with the guitar work from Mark Potter both beautiful and intense at the same time. Mirrorball was a wonderful transition from track two to four. Grounds for Divorce was incredible, with the choir absolutely dominating the proceedings during the sing-a-long chorus, and the entire symphony coming in at the end to bring the track to a stunning close.
An Audience with the Pope, Weather to Fly and The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver showcase Guy Garvey’s vocals so well, and provide the perfect bridge for the listener to prepare you for the last four tracks of the album.
Richard Hawley strides onstage at this point and joins the band for a well-crafted rendition of The Fix. The vocals of Guy and Richard mesh so well on this song, and I love the organ played by Craig Potter. Next up is one of the most stirring live tracks of the show, Some Riot. Craig Potter’s excellent piano work complements the lyrics and incredible emotion Guy Garvey displays while singing this song. A moving piece of work that will bring you to tears. Elbow then brings out one of the singles from the album, a glorious piece of work called One Day Like This. Probably one of their best live tracks, the string section is in full force during this song and on most discs would be the closer. However, Elbow has one more gem to give the audience.
The Seldom Seen Kid is a reference Guy Garvey’s father tagged fellow Manchester musician Bryan Glancy with, and became the title of Elbow’s fourth disc as a dedication to Glancy after his tragic death in 2006. The final song on the album is Friend of Ours. The first lines were written right after Glancy’s death, with the end coming more than a year later. This track had never been played live before this evening. Richard Jupp’s low-key but consistent bass lines add tempo to a very mellow, emotional song. Guy Garvey’s inspired, tragic delivery makes it plainly evident how much Bryan Glancy meant to him as a friend. What an incredible way to end a spectacular concert.
The DVD is the same exact show as the CD, and actually seeing Elbow perform this disc live is the way to listen to The Seldom Seen Kid - Live at Abbey Road. I am still blown away all these hours later, and look forward to watching it once again later this evening!
HMV.com sells The Seldom Seen Kid - Live at Abbey Road, and they provide great, quick service! I highly recommend using these guys to order the disc. It will come out to just under $40 total after converting American money to British pounds, but from a music perspective, it is some of the best money you will spend all year.
Touring with some big bands such as U2 and Coldplay this year, Elbow is also managing to squeeze in some headlining dates of their own. The Dust Devil has his eyes on a trip to Atlanta August 8 for a show at the Center Stage. They will also be at The Wiltern in Los Angeles July 22, and at the 9:30 Club in D.C. August 4. Check out this link for tickets to see Elbow live in concert. Scroll over the “L” in Elbow to see the live dates link. If the show you need is sold out (and I think they all should), TickCo is a good source for another option for Elbow tickets.
Elbow is quite simply the best band on the planet right now. The Mercury Prize win has helped the band reach plenty of new fans, but this is a band that should be selling out stadiums world-wide, not just in Europe. Come on America, wake up and start ignoring that sissy punk and teeny-bopper music that is popular on the U.S. airwaves. Elbow is the real deal. But, like the friend of mine that first introduced me to Elbow once said a few years ago, this is a “subtle” band. Thanks Bob. I have a feeling Elbow won’t be sneaking up on people much longer. I hope so.
Cheers!
The Dust Devil
June 9th, 2009
Hello everybody,
My Top Ten Concert List for 2009 is starting to fill up, but one thing I can guarantee right now. The Cloud Cult appearing at the Rhythm Room Sunday, May 17 is a GUARANTEE to be there. Holy cow, what an evening!
I have made it pretty clear how much I like the Rhythm Room, definitely one of my favorite venues in town. Once again they came through in providing the perfect atmosphere for a band of this quality, although for once the sound was not the quality I was accustomed to. When a lot of bass was present in a song, I could hear some crackling in the speakers. Trust me though, a minor convenience.
I first learned of Cloud Cult at the Monolith Festival in 2007. Unfortunately for me, they started their set just before the Flaming Lips, so I only caught two or three songs before heading back to my spot in the amphitheatre at Red Rocks. However, a couple of songs was all I needed to realize they were special, so I bought The Meaning of 8, a great disc, when I returned home.
Cloud Cult released Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) in 2008, an even better disc in my opinion. Unfortunately, no Phoenix show. Bummer …
I was stoked when I saw that Cloud Cult would be performing at Coachella in 2009. I would personally rank their show as my 5th favorite of the weekend, with Bob Mould Band being #1, A Place to Bury Strangers #2, Paul McCartney #3 and Band of Horses #4. Pretty exclusive and fascinating company, and Cloud Cult played the first set on the Outdoor Theater at 1:30pm that Saturday. What a great set that day, and I was really happy to see their crowd grow as the set progressed.
However, this is a band that really presents their act best (I think) in an intimate club, so their first Phoenix appearance was one I was ecstatic about, and boy did they come through!
I arrived around 9:30pm and I want to say they went on about 10 minutes later. The over-21 crowd packed that side of the venue, which was great news, so I made my way over to the under-age side of the Rhythm Room, where there was plenty of room.
The band consists of Arlen Peiffer on the drums, Craig Minowa on vocals and guitar, Sarah Young on cello, Shannon Frid on the violin and Shawn Neary on bass and trombone. There are two other integral parts to the Cloud Cult equation, painters Scott West and Connie Minowa. Scott was the only member to paint on this evening, and I apologize if I am wrong, but I believe Connie was at the merch table that evening. Please visit Scott and Connie’s websites that I provided the links for and check out their artwork!
You need to know their names because this a band you need to know, admire, respect and enjoy. I cannot think of another band that practices the independent spirit of music better than Cloud Cult, and I have seen a ton of bands over the years. Cloud Cult is as eco-friendly as a group can be, producing their discs on recycled paper, printing on them with non-toxic ink and wrapping them in non-toxic LDPE. They plant trees to offset the amount of CO2 they pump into the atmosphere when they tour. Folks, a lot of people talk about what to do in regards to helping the environment. Cloud Cult does not talk about it, they act. They are simply amazing.
The music this band creates is outstanding. Take some good old-fashioned indie-rock, add in the classical elements of two beautiful string instruments and the heart-felt vocals of Craig Minowa, and you have the formula of a great band. I have yet to find another band to compare Cloud Cult to, which is high praise considering so much music today is pure recycled material in my eyes.
Live - wow! This band pours themselves into their performance. There is no rockstar attitude present, just a cohesive unit that play well off one another and are in sync. Sarah and Shannon are one heck of a string section, and their musicianship is what really intrigues me about Cloud Cult. This band is so good live and have proven it to me on three occasions now, so I have to believe an off-night simply is not in their existence.
Off to the left of the rest of the band was Scott West. Watching him work up close was a marvel to see. Once the band kicked things into gear on the first song he was a ball of energy, adding the initial strokes to his painting with unbridled fury. It was awesome to see happen live. He literally paints to the beat of the music, especially when a heavy drum beat from Peiffer was created. With each passing song more detail was added to the painting, with the finished product being an exquisite piece of work. I don’t know a thing about art, but this impressed the heck out of me! I did bid on the painting but did not even come close to winning, which was very cool. Someone at the show knew what he was doing and I am glad for Scott and the rest of Cloud Cult that was the case.
Great show, and I must say that Cloud Cult are one of the coolest bands I have had the pleasure of meeting. I had a chance to meet all but one member after the show, and every individual had an engaging personality and a sincere, humble attitude about his or her work. This simply is a band you have to root for, they deserve every bit of good karma in the world.
Wow. Did I really experience all this, I’m still in awe. Great work Cloud Cult, I look forward to next time!
The Big Dog
May 19th, 2009
Big kudos to Kimber of Stinkweeds, Modified and Local First Arizona fame for coming to the rescue!
The Pomegranates were due to play at the Trunk Space on Friday, May 1. Well, for whatever reason the show is not happening there, but Kimber stepped in, as she always does, and this show has been moved over to Stinkweeds at 7pm.
Holy cow folks, this is a great way to spend First Friday! Head on over to the coolest record store in town, plop down a measley $5 and see three bands put on great shows! How can you beat that?
Turn Back O Man, a local product opens the show. Support these guys, especially since Dario, the bassist, works right there at Stinkweeds. Wye Oak will also be performing that evening and has been touring with the Pomegranates. Having seen the Pomegranates last year at the Monolith Festival, I can guarantee a great set from these guys!
Make a night of it folks, and while you are there grab the new Bob Mould, Doves and/or Youth Group CD’s. Great additions to the Dust Devil’s library!
Cheers!
The Dust Devil
April 29th, 2009
Yeah, I know, why am I skipping to Saturday already?
That’s easy. Bob Mould is a god, plain and simple. I had not seen this guy play since the days when Sugar were alive and well, and now I have had the opportunity to see him twice in concert in less than a month. I ranted and raved about how good his Varsity Theatre show was back in March. Honestly, as good as that set was, it pales in comparison to the ball of fury the Bob Mould Band unleashed on the appreciative Gobi Stage Coachella crowd.
My one complaint; what the heck was Coachella thinking putting a LEGEND on so early in the day? Bob Mould is more than deserving of a prime evening slot, especially with some of the artists that received a top billing. But I digress …
I left an explosive show by Cloud Cult a little early so I could head over to the Gobi Stage and secure a good spot up front. I was not as fortunate as I hoped, but I was only about three people back from the front, so I was content.
Unlike the show in Minneapolis on March 30, the whole Bob Mould Band was in tow for this concert, and the acoustic guitar was nowhere to be seen. Nope, this was classic Bob Mould at his best, shredding on the guitar, but doing so as always with such precision and beauty that it is easy to forget how loud he plays!
With a scant 50 minutes to play, the Bob Mould Band utilized their time well and with awesome efficiency. There was no talking between songs, no endless tuning, just an immediate shift into the next tune. The way things commenced set the tone for what, at least in my eyes, was the best set of the weekend.
Sugar is one of my all-time favorite bands, and their debut Copper Blue was a stunning cascade of noise, but done so with a beautiful pop aesthetic. The first three songs from that disc, The Act We Act, A Good Idea and Changes, led off the day’s concert at Coachella. I was in heaven!
A powerful rendering of See a Little Light from his classic solo debut Workbook was next, before unleashing Hoover Dam, yet another Copper Blue track. Two songs were played from his most recent release Life and Times, the title track and I’m Sorry Baby, But You Can’t Stand In My Light Anymore. Outstanding renderings of both tracks, and to be honest I would have loved to hear even more from the new album.
However, Bob Mould is an astute individual, and once the band finished the two new songs, they set out to pulverize the audience for the rest of the show. It was almost as if he was delivering a message to the young-uns at Coachella that weren’t even born yet when Husker Du was in their prime, a message stating “here is what true, intense and well-crafted alternative music sounds like”.
The rest of the set was a pure Sugar and Husker Du affair, absolutely mind-blowing and incredible. A fifth Copper Blue classic, If I Can’t Change Your Mind was played. Makes No Sense at All, Celebrated Summer and I Apologize are a small sample of tracks played from Husker Du’s catalog. Quite simply, the entire show was one intense buzzsaw of an attack, and personally speaking not only the best show of Coachella but the best show I have seen all year. No joke folks, if you were at Coachella and missed this show, you blew it.
As if I was not already blown away, to end the set with a furious rendering of New Day Rising capped off perfectly an incredible performance. Bob was in a frenzy at this point and attacked the song with unbridled fury. What an ending!
A great frontman, a great supporting cast, a great atmosphere equates to a great concert. I love the rest of the band that Bob Mould has assembled, and big props go to Jason Narducy, that guy plays a mean bass!
I was exhausted when this show was over, but in a good way. I had just witnessed greatness and was honored to have been in the crowd. Thank you again to the Bob Mould Band for proving great music is still alive and well.
Next up, we will go back one day to the set from A Place to Bury Strangers Friday evening, easily the loudest set I saw of the weekend! I guess if I had gone on Sunday I would probably be saying that about My Bloody Valentine instead.
Cheers!
The Dust Devil
April 24th, 2009
Previous Posts